Damien Hirst, Beautiful Exploding Spinning Spiral Painting (1993), acrylic on board. Photo: Courtesy of Galerie Thomas

Dealers at The Armory Show—the sprawling modern and contemporary art fair on Manhattan’s far west side piers—were already reporting a flood of sales early in the fair’s run after the March 5 preview day as eager buyers snapped up works within hours of the doors opening. Sales continued at a brisk pace through the duration of the fair up to yesterday’s close on March 9.

Tara Reddi, vice president of Marlborough Gallery, New York, characterized the fair as “very lively,” adding “we had interest and sales across the board.” Among the highlights: the gallery sold out the entire edition of nine of the small bronze Kissing Couple 2013, by Tom Otterness, at prices around US$50,000 to US$60,000, as well as a unique stainless steel Otterness sculpture for over US$130,000, Sad Sphere (2014) showing one of his signature characters sitting on a large ball and weeping; a polished oil on canvas by  Stephen Hannock, Incendiary Nocturne: Golden Rockets, Emerald Sky (Mass MoCA #210) (2014), sold for about US$100,000; and a mixed-media work on canvas by Juan Genoves, Arido (2013), sold for about US$150,000.

Tom Otterness
Kissing Couple (2013)
bronze, edition of 9
Photo: © Tom Otterness, courtesy of Marlborough Gallery, New York

Munich’s Galerie Thomas, exhibiting in the Modern section on Pier 92, sold Imi Knoebel’s Anima Mundi 3-2 (2013), an acrylic on aluminum in two parts, for US$52,500 and Damien Hirst’s diminutive spin painting Beautiful Exploding Spinning Spiral Painting (1993) for US$11,500.

Imi Knoebel, Anima Mundi 3-2 (2013), acrylic on aluminium, 2 parts. Photo: courtesy Galerie Thomas.

Milan-based Cardi Gallery sold out of 12 works by Chicago-based artist Scott Short. Each of the paintings were priced at US$30,000.

“We had a great preview day,” reported Augusto Arbizo of Eleven Rivington gallery. The booth, given over to a solo show of works by Los Angeles–based Japanese artist Aiko Hachisuka, was a sell-out by the second hour of the preview, the gallery said. Buyers claimed all five works of silkscreen on clothing and foam, including Sa Sa Sa (2014) and French Pants (2014), with prices ranging from US$6,500 to US$8,000.

Aiko Hachisuka, 4-3 (2013), silkscreen on clothing and foam.
Photo: courtesy Eleven Rivington, New York.

Chelsea gallerist Zach Feuer told artnet News his booth had sold out March 5 and 6, and he had to rehang for the third day. The gallery sold numerous pieces, including works by Jeremy Deprez, Mark Flood, Marianne Vitale, Kristen Morgin, Jon Rafman, and Johannes VanDerBeek. Prices ranged from US$10,000 to US$60,000 for individual works.

Marianne Vitale, Shingle Painting 7 (2013), tar shingles and Liquid Nails on canvas.
Photo: courtesy Zach Feuer.

Lehmann Maupin reported that both Teresita Fernández works on the gallery’s stand were sold. The larger one, a 30-panel piece titled Nocturnal (30 Nights) (2013), sold in the range of US$150,000 to US$200,000. Similar work by Fernández will be featured in a solo show opening May 24 at Mass MoCA entitled “As Above So Below.” The gallery sold Klara Kristalova’s sculpture Seated Flower, 2014, as well as one of her drawings in the range of US$27,500 to US$41,000; four works from Do Ho Suh’s “Specimens” series (2011–2013) priced at US$20,000 to US$100,000; and Micakalene Thomas’s Hair Portrait #18 (2013) in the range of US$50,000 to US$75,000.

Teresita Fernández, Nocturnal (30 Nights) (detail), (2013), graphite and metallic paint on wood panel, 30 panels.
Photo: courtesy Lehmann Maupin, New York and Hong Kong.

London’s Lisson Gallery sold a recent large-scale painting by Cuban-born, New York–based artist Carmen Herrera for about $100,000. Other sales included works by Haroon Mirza, Julian Opie, and Spencer Finch at prices ranging from US$20,000 to US$100,000.

London and Berlin gallery Sprüth Magers sold two works by Rosemarie Trockel: Untitled (1986), wool with Plexiglas frame, for US$895,000; and Übung (2011), a glazed ceramic piece for US$151,400. A suite of nine black and white photographs by Bernd + Hilla Becher, Water Towers: (Haus) (2010) sold for US$123,000; and a work by Louise Lawler sold for US$40,000.

David Zwirner gallery sold a new inkjet print on canvas work by Jordan Wolfson for US$30,000. The artist’s show opened March 7 at the West 19th street space in in Chelsea. The highlight sale at Zwirner was a new Oscar Murillo work (four panels made of metals) at US$400,000.

By the end of the first day, New York’s Sean Kelly Gallery had racked up several sales, including: an oil on canvas by Kaye Donachie, Absence Without Want (2014), for US$36,800; The Cloud – Rabbit, (2013), by Leandro Erlich, ultra clear glass, ceramic ink on a solid surface base (one of an edition of three), for US$45,000; After Duchamp (Bicycle Wheel) (2014), a digital C-print mounted on aluminum, by Idris Khan, for US$90,000; a framed chromogenic print face mounted to Plexiglas, by Frank Thiel, Perito Moreno #17 (2012/2013), for US$44,000; and an ink and watercolor on paper by Sun Xun, entitled The Time Vivarium – 04 (2013), for US$8,000.

Idris Khan, After Duchamp (Bicycle Wheel) (2014), digital C-print mounted on aluminum. Photo: © Idris Khan, Courtesy Sean Kelly, New York.